Many of the efforts to improve on the first generation of CAR-T therapies such that they can reach solid tumors had focused on tweaks inherent to the cancer killing agent — specifically, utilizing more potent T cells as their base, from stem memory T cells to virally associated T cells to marrow infiltrating lymphocytes. But
Article Highlights CAR T-cell therapy is gaining traction in relapsed/refractory lymphoma in older patients with aggressive disease. As a result of prospective trials investigating CAR T-cell therapy, there is potential that older patients with lymphoma can be spared multiple lines of chemotherapy and its resultant toxicities while still having long-term clinical benefit. Toxicities are still
A decade ago researchers announced development of a cancer immunotherapy called CAR (for chimeric antigen receptor)-T, in which a patient is re-infused with their own genetically modified T cells equipped to mount a potent anti-tumour attack. Since then CAR T approaches (one of several strategies collectively known as “adoptive T cell transfer”) have made headlines
Source Nature From antibiotics and organoids to CRISPR, improved biomedical methods and apparatus are enabling new therapies. Organoids Mini organs stand in for test models The term ‘organoid’ didn’t exist a decade ago. Now it’s a buzzword in biomedical science for a three-dimensional multi-cellular structure or ‘mini organ’. Thanks to advances with pluripotent stem cells
In this interview with Bruce Levine Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA) we find out about his talk on constantly enhancing and improving engineered T cells, which was presented recently at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting (March 29–April 3, 2019, Atlanta, GA, USA). In addition, we also asked about his thoughts
An advance in the groundbreaking cancer treatment known as CAR T-cell therapy appears to eliminate its severe side effects, making the treatment safer and potentially available in outpatient settings, a new USC study shows. “This is a major improvement,” said Si-Yi Chen of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology
The technology has wowed the field by all but obliterating some patients’ blood cancers, but solid malignancies present new challenges. Cecilia Barron feels for one of the two bumps on her scalp. “Here it is,” she says, gently touching a spot on the top of her head. It’s invisible, unless Barron parts her hair to
By late 2018, 2 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell products have been approved by US and European regulatory authorities. Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah, Novartis) is indicated in the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory or in second or later relapse (ELIANA trial), or
The formidable price tag of the new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies has sent shock waves through the blood cancers community, which is struggling to incorporate this novel approach because of the remarkable responses that have been seen. But the price tags — enormous as they are (nearly half a million [$475,000] for tisagenlecleucel [Kymriah, Novartis]
February 27 2019 P.M. Fornasari Yale researchers have developed a new way to efficiently engineer immune cells, an advance which enhances the ability to fend off cancer and other diseases, they report in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Nature Methods. A number of new life-saving therapies rely on reconfiguring human immune cells to act
